Game



Dec. 13, 1938. G, E. WEINBERGER, 2,140,193

. GAME Filed May' 17, 1937 0 I/ o If F O Fly. 4

Eryn; J Y 'INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 13, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GAllIE neapolis, Minn.

Application May 1'7, 1937, Serial No. 142,961

7 Claims.

The invention relates to an indoor football game, and an object of the invention is to provide such a game as may be played under regular playing rules, to the end that the players may instinctively acquire a knowledge of the game as it is ordinarily played, thereby training the minds of the players and familiarizing them with the game of football.

A further object is to provide an indoor football game in which the results of the game depend on the skill and ingenuity of the players.

Indoor games simulating the outdoor game of football have heretofore been made, but in such games the men or balls have been put into play by the turning of cards or the spinning of a dial, the men or balls being moved to a position on the board corresponding to the letter or marking on the card or dial. These games therefore depend to a great extent upon the element of chance, and the players have no discretion in choosing the plays.

A still further object is to provide a football game which is simple to play, and one that can be manufactured at a relatively small cost.

These and other objects, which will be made apparent to those skilled in the art, are accomplished by means of this invention, one embodiment of which is described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing:

Figure l is a plain View of a board or table laid out as a miniature football field in accordance with the invention, showing the arrangement of the men thereon.

Figure 2 is a side view of the playing field.

Figure 3 is an end view of the playing field.

Figure 4 is a view of the football used in the playing of the game covered by the invention.

Figure 5 is a view of the offensive playing ball.

Figure 6 is a view of the defensive playing ball.

Figure 7 is a view of the goal port.

Figure 8 is a View of the down marker.

The game is played upon any table or other support of suificient size to hold the field, which may be made of any suitable material, such as fabric, paper, fiber composition board, linoleum, etc., bearing the lines of a football field thereon. Theplaying field may be of any desired size, but in proportion to the regular playing field.

vThe ofiensive and defensive players take an active part in each play at the same time, and the line of scrimmage moves up and down the field with the progress of the ball.

Referring to the drawing in detail, H3 indicates a field made of any suitable material, which is laid off with transverse lines indicating any desired yard increments, as for instance, five yard increments. Adjacent and approximately along the center of the field are secured pieces 12, representing players in formation. The pieces may be of any desired form or shape, and there may be only one line of players. There are two lines of players shown, and the men in one'line are offset or staggered with respect to men in the other line. The playing ball can pass through the line of men but requires a certain amount of skill on part of the player.

Secured to the playing field near opposite ends are ball-projecting members l3. These members l3 are pivotally secured to the playing field and, are generally substantially triangular in shape and have grooves l5 extending on the two exposed sides of the triangular pieces. A bar 14 is secured to member 13 over the grooves l5. The ball projector i3, is secured to the playing field by a stud-like member which permits the projector to be turned.

There are provided near the ends of the playing field openings or depressions I6 and H, the purpose of which will later be described. Also, there are provided openings or depressions I8, t9, and 2c along the edges of the playing field, and the siezs of the openings may be uniform but it is preferred that they vary in size.

Secured to the playing field, but extending out beyond the sides, are end run members 2| and 22. These members are placed around the pieces 52, and each terminates near one of the openings or depressions in the playing field. The end run members may be of any desired shape, but the forms shown in Fig. 1 have proven highly satisfactory.

Secured to the playing field and extending beyond the edge are members 23, which have rotatably secured to the outer ends, pulley-like members 25-. Mounted on members 24 is yardage ribbon 25, which is marked off to indicate 1 yard increments. The ribbon or tape 25 can be made to move on members 24. In order to show the yardage gained or lost, suitable markers or flags may be provided. A marker 26 is provided to indicate the point to which the ball must be advanced to make a first down. This marker 26 is so made that it can be secured upon yardage band 25.

A football 21 of relatively light material, such as cork, is provided and which is kicked by the player from member l3. The players are provided with balls 28 for offensive plays, and the ball or balls 28 are of such size as to pass between the pieces 12. In Fig. 6 is shown a defensive ball, which is generally of larger size than the offensive ball, although the size of all balls may be varied without departing from the scope of the invention.

One or more goal posts 3| are provided. and are so constructed that they can be placed upon the playing field when desired by the players.

A suitable marker is provided to indicate the clowns, such as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th. The form V the down marker is to take is not of great importance but one similar to that disclosed in Fig. 8 is preferred.

The opening or depression 20 is a short pass interception space, 19 the short pass opening or depression, and I8 is the pass allowed because of interference opening or depression. The openings or depressions 16 are for long pass completion, and the opening or depression I! is for the long pass interception.

The game is played (by two players) as follows: The players determine who is to kick off, either by flipping a coin or by agreement. The player who kicks or puts the ball into play, first pulls the ribbon with yard markings on it to a position so that his own 40 yd. line is even with the roller 24 on which the ribbon rotates. The goal line toward which he will kick will then be approximately even with the ribbon roller on the end of the board near the kick receiver. He then takes the football 21 andplaces it on the upward plane of the projector and places his finger under the football. He gives it a push upward on the projector. The ball will be put in play at the point to which it rolls, or on the 20 yd. line if it goes over the goal line. The ball can be run back on the first play, by the receiver, unless it rolls out of bounds.

For the sake of explanation, assume that the kick-off goes over the goal line, player A having done the kicking to player B. B then pulls the ribbon so that his own 20 yd. line is even with the line of scrimmage. He knows he will have to make 10 yds. in the next 4 plays, so he places the yardage marker on ribbon at the 30 yd. line. He then takes the small ball, and after aiming the projector at what he hopes is a spot in the line or around end at which he can gain some yardage (roll the ball toward the line of scrimmage), he lets the ball roll down the projector. The farthest forward point of the ball is the point from which is judged his loss or gain on the play. Suppose he gets 2 yards past the line of scrimmage. He then moves the ribbon so that the 22 yd. line is even with the line of scrimmage. It will then be second down and 8 yds. to go. In other words, he now has 3 tries to get the ball up to or past the yardage marker, which is on the 30 yd. line on the ribbon. The player B can pass by putting the ball 5 on the upward plane of the projector and pushing it upward so it sails over the line of scrimmage, in an attempt to have it roll or fall into either the short or long pass completion holes. He can also kick with the football just as A did, except that the ribbon is not moved. If B kicks from his own 22 yd. line and the ball goes over the end of the board on ,As end, then B is said to have caught the ball at the spot indicated by the yardage ribbon where it rests on the roller on Bs end. B then may attempt to run the kick back, after he has moved the ribbon so that the point at which he caught the ball is even with the line,

of. scrimmage. His attempted runback of the kick corresponds to any line playbut does not count as a down. The ball'is put in play, 1st

down, 10 yds. to go, from the point to which he returned the kick.

Now while any offensive player is attempting to make gains through the line, run the ends, or complete passes, the defensive player is active in trying to prevent the offensive player from being successful in his efforts. He has a large ball 29 which he rolls down the projector in an attempt to halt the forward progress of the small ball which the offensive man is attempting to roll toward the defenders goal. Forward passes in which the offensive ball is rolling toward the pass completion hole can be knocked to one side by this defensive ball. Line plunges and end runs can also be stopped effectively, depending on the comparative skill of the defensive and the offensive players.

Field goals can be attempted from not farther away from the goal than the 30 yd. line.

What I claim:

1. In an indoor football game, the combination of a board marked off in the form of a gridiron with transverse lines thereon, representing given yard increments, pieces arranged on both sides of the central yard line in staggered relation and secured to the board, and end run members secured to the board and extending around the players.

2. In an indoor football game, the combination comprising a board having a playing surface thereon, a plurality of pieces representing players secured to the surface of the playing field, end run means secured to the playing field extending outward therefrom and around the pieces representing the players, and openings in the surface of the playing field near one end of each end run means.

3. An indoor football game, a board providing a playing surface formed as a replica of an actual football field, a plurality of pieces represening players rigidly secured to the playing sur face of the board, and means secured to the board and extending around the pieces represent ing players to provide for end runs.

4. An indoor football game comprising a board, a playing field on said boardformed as a replica of an actual football playing field, a plurality of pieces representing teams of players secured to the board and arranged approximately along the mid-portion of the playingfield, end run members secured to the board and extending around the players, yardage ribbon support members secured to the board and extending beyond the edge thereof, a roller carried by each of the sup formed as a replica of an actual football field and having a plurality of openings arranged along longitudinal edges of the board, a plurality of pieces representing players secured to the board, and end run member secured to the board and extending beyond edge of board and around the players.

6. An indoor football game comprising a board formed as a replica of an actual football field, a plurality of pieces secured to the board and representing players, a plurality of openings in the board along longitudinal edges of the board, members secured to the board for supporting a rotatable yardage ribbon, and a rotatable yardage ribbon on said ribbon supporting members.

7. An indoor football game comprising a board formed as a replica'of an actual football field, a plurality of pieces secured to the board and representing players, end run members secured to. the board and extending beyond the edges of the board and around the players, support members secured to the board for rotatably carrying a yardage ribbon, and a yardage ribbon on said support members.

' GALEN E. WEINBERGER. 

